Qiuyun nodded politely as well. “Mr. Jiang.”
It had been many days since they last met, and Jiang Yifeng had grown even thinner. Although every aspect of his food, clothing, housing, and transportation was handled by dedicated staff, the air of dejection radiating from within him was impossible to miss.
Jiang Yifeng swept them with a sidelong glance. One junior family member and one assistant were hardly worth his attention. The people behind him pushed his wheelchair into the elevator on the side.
“Fourth Uncle looks like he’s suffered a serious blow,” Jiang Chuling whispered.
Qiuyun lowered her head. “He has. But he’s also playing the sympathy card with Old Master Jiang.”
At present, aside from appealing to family affection, he had no other options.
“Big Brother!” Jiang Chuling’s sharp eyes caught sight of Jiang Lin’an getting out of the car. “You haven’t come home for dinner in ages!”
Jiang Lin’an came over in a few quick strides. He nodded at Qiuyun in greeting before explaining to his sister, “The company was busy during the May Day holiday.”
Jiang Chuling was a very perceptive child. She leaned closer and sniffed, then immediately plucked a long, dark-brown, curly strand of hair from her brother’s sleeve.
She held it up at once. “Hmm? Big Brother, are you dating someone again?”
Jiang Lin’an froze.
He couldn’t help glancing at Assistant Qiu beside him.
…There had to be a bug in this world.
Qiuyun bent down and said quietly, “Miss, it would be best if we pretended not to know about this.”
Jiang Chuling hurriedly tossed the hair away. “Don’t answer me. I don’t know anything, and I didn’t see anything! Make sure you keep it a secret!”
They absolutely couldn’t let Dad catch wind of it and cause another scene by running away from home!
Jiang Lin’an was speechless for a moment. Then he decided to throw caution to the wind. “Yes. It’s the girl who handed me coffee last time.”
“Aaaah!” Jiang Chuling covered her ears. “I’m not listening, I’m not listening!”
“You heard it anyway. You know you have to keep it a secret, right?” With that, Jiang Lin’an went upstairs first.
Jiang Chuling huffed indignantly. “Big Brother’s changed for the worse. He never used to tease me!”
“When people are happier, they tend to receive more positive feedback from exploring the world.”
“Happier?”
“Mhm.” Qiuyun came from a family of seamstresses, and she was exceptionally good at noticing changes in people’s measurements. “The Eldest Young Master has put on a little weight. I think the internet calls it… happy weight?”
“Ah! I wonder if Big Brother can keep it hidden from Dad.” Jiang Chuling sighed worriedly.
How could he possibly keep it a secret now that she knew she had to keep it secret?
When they arrived at the grand reception hall, the long-absent second-branch couple appeared at the family dinner.
It seemed Old Master Jiang had finally gotten past that hurdle.
In Qiuyun’s opinion, it had only been a matter of time before Old Master Jiang forgave the second-branch couple. After all, with the third son and his wife setting the bar so high, the second branch’s crime of merely attempting to steal from their own father was relatively minor. Compared with the former’s sinister ruthlessness, it was practically acceptable. At least they had been fighting for power without intending to take anyone’s life.
The moment Jiang Yijie and Qian Yuqiong saw Qiuyun, their noses wrinkled and their eyes narrowed.
It was all because of this meddlesome little assistant!
She had single-handedly ruined their grand plan!
They had only learned afterward that the old man had been bluffing all along—that he had merely been toying with them.
But the destructive force of this little assistant was absolutely not to be underestimated!
“You’re all here.”
The fiercely proud Old Master finally relented. Leaning on his cane, he slowly made his way to the seat of honor.
Everyone greeted him in turn. Old Master Jiang handed his cane to Butler Lin and said, “Sit down, everyone. It’s been a long time since the family sat down together for a meal.”
Ge Furen (Mrs. Ge) chimed in, “Indeed. The younger members of the family should come visit their grandfather when they have nothing else to do. Only Little Seven is filial enough to come regularly. The others probably haven’t shown their faces in nearly half a year.”
Jiang Chuling looked up with an adorable smile. “Grandpa is the head of the family and has countless things to manage every day. How would my brothers and sisters dare come bother him when they have no serious business? Besides, they’ve all asked me indirectly about Grandpa’s health when they heard I came to the main residence for the charity variety show.”
Little Seven’s open and gracious manner made Ge Furen’s earlier remark seem petty by comparison.
She was about to say something else when Old Master Jiang spoke. “It’s enough that they care. Let’s eat.”
The anger lodged in Ge Furen’s chest added another wrinkle to the corner of her eye.
Jiang Yifeng discreetly raised his eyes, looking first at his little niece and then at Qiuyun.
Seriously.
After spending so much time around her, even a child as young as Little Seven had learned how to divert fire and win allies.
Dish after dish was brought out. Each plate held only a few delicate bites—beautiful to look at, but hardly enough to fill anyone’s stomach.
Meanwhile, the seats meant for the third son and his wife had quietly vanished under Butler Lin’s skillful arrangement.
It was as if they had never existed.
“How is the project progressing?” Old Master Jiang asked.
With the second son idling at home and the Fourth Brother temporarily stepping down from his duties, the family had somehow been left with only Jiang Yihua as its sole capable pillar.
Jiang Yihua carefully chose his words, doing his best not to appear too vigorous and ambitious in front of his father. “The project… still hasn’t been able to speed up. We’ll have to extend the timeline.”
Old Master Jiang frowned at that, then let out a sigh. “Forget it. It takes a hundred days to recover from an injury to the bones and muscles. After being cut open like you were, you’re probably no different. Focus on getting your health back first.”
“Yes, Dad. I understand.”
Old Master Jiang turned to Jiang Lin’an. “How is your internship at the company’s grassroots level?”
Although Jiang Lin’an loved doing as little as possible, he had at least received twenty years of elite education. He could always come up with something to report when it was time for an inspection.
He put down his chopsticks. “I’ve gained quite a lot from spending the past few months working at the grassroots level, and I’ve also discovered many flaws in the company’s systems. For example, the head of the logistics department has more authority over purchasing holiday benefits and selecting gifts than the employees have over expressing their needs. I suggest that, next time, we either make the voting results part of the formal process or purchase holiday benefits according to what employees actually want. That would improve team cohesion and strengthen their sense of belonging.
“Another issue is that the group’s application procedures are far too complicated. I once applied for personal leave, and it required the signatures and approval of three supervisors. I also had to submit the request three days in advance. The system is so cumbersome that the leave-approval process takes longer than the time off itself. A system is supposed to improve efficiency, but in the end it has become the enemy of efficiency. That’s a tremendous waste.”
For the several Jiang executives who had never immersed themselves in the company’s grassroots operations, these were naturally things they would have found difficult to know or understand.
Old Master Jiang looked at his eldest grandson’s calm expression, unable to conceal his satisfaction. He thought that falling in love and going through that experience really had helped the boy grow up.
“Lin’an has put a great deal of thought into this. The group does indeed need fresh blood if it’s going to continue advancing.”
Jiang Lin’an modestly replied, “With my current abilities, I’m not yet capable of taking over a company project directly. Spending more time honing myself at the grassroots level is a good thing.”
Old Master Jiang was satisfied.
As for the other grandchildren, there was no particular need to question them. In the end, he asked only about Little Seven’s charity variety show.
Jiang Chuling also put down her chopsticks and answered properly, “The audience response has been excellent. The children in the impoverished mountain villages who received help are also very grateful for the Jiang Group’s generous support.”
“Good. Keep it up.” Doing good deeds accumulated blessings and virtue for the family. At his age, Old Master Jiang hoped only to deepen his family’s good fortune.
The family dinner came to an end.
